Tag Archives: Shopping

Budget Boots – ACA

It seems everyone is trying to help us save $$. Last night’s episode of A Current Affair went in search of budget boots! You can view the story at http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=826708

The top budget choices by stores included:

Myer – $100 Steve Madden boots

Wittner – $100 black ankle boots

Mollini – $200 cream/beige knee high boots

Happy boot shopping.

Squeakgal

QVB – Free Gift

Don’t miss out on your free gift from Aveda simply by shopping at QVB!

Spend $500 in one day at QVB, visit Concierge on Ground Floor to have your receipts validated, then head to holistic beauty experts Aveda to collect your exclusive gift pack containing three full-size products.  Visit www.qvb.com.au for further details.

Win $1000 To make a fashion statement

Do you love shopping at Westfields Chatswood? Who doesn’t, and who wouldn’t love to win a $1000 Gift card from Westfield Chatswood. Here’s the details on how to enter:

Give your winter wardrobe a makeover with a $1000 Gift Card from Westfield Chatswood. For your chance to win, SMS ‘FASHION’, your name and email address to 199 77 666 or visit westfield.com.au/chatswood.

Entry is open to New South Wales residents and etrants aged under 18 years must obtain consent of their parent or legal guardian to enter. Entries closes 5pm 19/04/09 AEST. For full terms and conditions, see www.westfield.com.au/chatswood.

If you have details of any other current competitions we would love to hear about it and we will share it with the rest of the online community. Just send us an email to info[at]squeak.com.au

10 ideas for eating healthy on a shoestring

Trying to be healthy and trying to save money doesn’t always go hand in hand. Here are 10 ideas for eating healthy on a shoestring by Jennifer Pinkerton from http://www.blackmores.com.au/News/Detail.aspx?ArticleId=9485

1. Don’t go shopping on an empty belly

2. Be reward-program savvy

3. Keep a price journal

4. Stay seasonal

5. Visit farmers’ markets

6. Berries below freezing

7. What’s the plan, Stan?

8. Mind the expiry date

9. Check check, one two…

10. Lean and bean

Happy shopping

SqueakGal

Parramatta Bridal Shopping

Are you planning for the big day? As any bride-to-be knows – shopping for THE wedding dress or even bridesmaid’s dress can be painful.

You can spend a lot of time looking for the right dress and there is no guarantee that you’ll find it so sometimes you have to spend time just looking and dismissing which styles you do or don’t like. It is in these situation that life would be easier if you had a stack of bridal stores in one location so that you don’t have to spend so much time travelling. It also means that you have stores competing for your business so you are more likely to get a great price.

So here are a few bridal stores in one location for you to check out in Parramatta, Sydney. Parramatta has more than bridal shops, it has a huge Westfield with stores to cater for your every need and plenty of other stores outside of Westfield to keep you occupied for a day (or more) of shopping.

Park Avenue Bridal – 83 Macquarie Street Parramatta – http://www.parkavenuebridal.com.au/

Honeymoon Bridal – Shop 1, 478 Church Street, North Parramatta – http://www.honeymoonbridal.com.au/

Brides of Parramatta - 46 Macquarie Street, Parramatta

Mode for Brides - 28 Macquarie Street, Parramatta – http://www.calabrostores.com/

Vision in White - 40 Macquarie Street, Parramatta – http://www.visioninwhite.com.au/ http://www.formalimage.com.au/

Jean Fox National - 21 Argyle Street, Parramatta – http://www.jeanfox.com.au/home.php

Happy bridal shopping.
SqueakGal

Top 3 tips for safely buying on eBay

Have you ever bought anything on eBay (www.ebay.com.au)? There are some people that are afraid of buying things on eBay but I’ve bought several things on eBay without any problems and the best thing is that I get great bargains on eBay. It’s also a great place to get ideas for gifts especially if you are looking for unique items or items that are no longer sold.

Here are three tips for successfully buying on eBay. Let me know if you have any other tips.

1.      Look before you buy

Just because the item is online doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take the time to find out exactly what you are buying. Research the item to make sure you get what you want. Ask for pictures or descriptions of the item. Find out what condition it’s in and if you aren’t sure then don’t buy. Contact the seller with any questions before you buy.

Users on eBay have a feedback rating based on transactions that you have made either as a seller or a buyer. Check the seller’s feedback to see if there are any negative comments or issues. This is also a good time to make sure that you check your own feedback rating. Have you been a good buyer?

2.      How much will you be paying?

Understand the bidding system of eBay. It’s based on the maximum bid price you have placed and does not usually include postage and handling. Check to see what the cost is for postage and handling, whether you can pick up the item and calculate whether you still want to purchase the item. Use the ‘watch the item’ feature to keep an eye on the item if you aren’t sure if you want to bid on it.

Sometimes the seller will offer a discount for multiple purchases but to be safe, contact the seller and ask whether they can combine the postage costs if you buy several items. If the items have different auction dates ask if you can pay for the items after the last auction date to see if you have been successful. Good communication is the key and can save you money.

3.      How will you be paying?

Before making your bid ensure that you can comply with the payment requirements. Some sellers require specific requirements such as a Pay Pal account or they may require that you contact the seller with payment within a specified timeframe. If you can’t meet the timeframe (you may be overseas or without internet access) make sure you contact the seller with your explanation. If you can’t pay then don’t bother bidding.

Happy bidding.
SqueakGal

Places to shop in Sydney …

As some of you may know from my previous article Top 10 tips for bargain shopping in Sydney I’m a huge fan of getting great bargains in one location so here’s a quick list of the places where you’ll find a number of shops with good bargains.

Alexandria/Zetland/Roseberry/Redfern/Surry Hills

There are only a few places that are set up to permanently cater for shoppers but the best bit about this area is the one off sales or when the warehouses open up for the weekend. This is when you get great bargains and unique clothes as some places will sell the samples.

The stores that have been set up permanently include Seafolly, Bonds, Events, Puma, Ron Bennet, Reebok, Champion, Marcs, Oxford, Zambelli, Swarosvski and many more.

The places that are open on special days include Uchi, Honey & Beau and Vallen.

You can find out about these sales by driving around and looking for posters advertising the sale, subscribing to mailing lists or checking out on websites such as www.squeak.com.au.

Paddy’s Markets – Market City – www.marketcity.com.au

Great place for souvenirs! The stuff may not be unique but it is definitely cheap and therefore you can buy in bulk.

In relation to clothes and accessories there’s plenty of Australiana gear and then there’s the fashion items that will be at bargain prices.

On top of Paddy’s Markets is Market City and there are plenty of fashion stores which have been set up as the factory outlet. Stores such as Cue, Nautica, Table Eight, Champion, Cotton On, Cotton On Kids, Dotti, Esprit, Events, General Pants, Giordano, Jay Jays, Lonsdale, Ojay, Oxford, Review, Seduce, Supre and YD.

Birkenhead Point – Drummoyne – www.birkenheadpoint.com.au

The best bit of this location is also that it’s near the water and you can spend lunch outdoors in a great location. It’s also close to the city and accessible by bus and there’s plenty of parking. The other great thing about this complex is that there are stores here that aren’t available elsewhere plus you can also do your regular shopping at the same time with Coles, fresh food grocers and butchers nearby.

What you will find:

David Jones Warehouse, Allanah Hill, Cue, Ojay, Diana Ferrari, Angus and Robertson, Pumpkin Patch, In Sport, Tree of Life, Marcs, Spotlight, Table Eight, Oroton, Colorado, Canterbury, Kathmandu, Bonds, Nine West, Harts and many more.

Direct Factory Outlet (DFO) – Homebush – www.dfo.com.au/homebush/

Similar to the DFO’s around Australia, this is the place where the stores will send the discontinued lines and also the stuff that has been around for a while so you know it will be discounted. It can be a bit of hit and miss and it is recommended that you go here often to see what’s new.

What you will find:

Portmans, Cue, Seduce, Pumpkin Patch, Oxford, Ojay, Polo, Jigsaw, Charlie Brown, Sketchers, Oroton, Wanted, Lisa Ho, Politix, Sandler, Sheridan, White Vanilla, Waterford, Nine West, Witchery, Puma, Charcoal, Colorado, Diana Ferrari, Frat House, Brands United, Jag, Peter Alexander, Jay Jays, Misako, Giordano, Rivers, Strandbags, Cotton On, Table Eight, Men’s Avenue, Marcs, Bras n Things, Aquilla, Converse and many more.

Happy shopping!

SqueakGal

Top 10 Tips for Bargain Shopping in Sydney

You may be wondering what my qualifications are in this field and all I can tell you is that I’ve got a LOT of experience bargain shopping in Sydney. I’ve attended hundreds of sales and visited plenty of warehouses and storerooms looking for the best bargains.

I’ve managed to get some really good bargains, saved myself a lot of money and had a fantastic time shopping. I’ve shared my knowledge with my friends and in the spirit of the good shopping karma I thought I’d share some tips with you for how to get the most when bargain shopping in Sydney.

1.    Check out websites that list sales

Get on the internet. There are a lot of sites that provide you with details of sales in Sydney. These websites do the hard work for you because they get the details of a number of sales in one location.

Each website is different. For example, www.squeak.com.au covers not only fashion but also electronics, travel, home, furniture and books.  It’s basically like a search engine just for sales.!

Other websites rely on word of mouth because not all sales are listed online. This is where good karma comes into play. If you list a sale on a website you are letting other shopaholics know about this sale and in turn you’ll receive good karma points! Some websites like Squeak will even reward you for sharing your knowledge.

Bookmark these sale websites and check them regularly. If the website has an option to subscribe to an RSS feed and then include this to your RSS reader – you’ll get notified as soon as the website gets updated.

2.    Sign up to mailing lists

There’s always two ways to be informed of sales, either you can find the information or you can be told.

While you will get a lot of spam, signing up to mailing lists of your favourite brands will ensure that you are the first to know about sales and special offers available to loyal customers.

To avoid getting the spam in your normal inbox, set up a special shopping email account and use that to sign up for mailing lists. If you do this, remember to check this account often!

3.    Know what you are looking for or be flexible

Unless you know what you are looking for you’ll be inundated with information about sales that are happening around you. You’ve either got to be flexible about what you want and enjoy shopping for random items or be specific and look for particular brands or items.

If you know what you are looking for you can tailor your search and concentrate your time at specific locations or stores. If you aren’t sure then it might be best to hit places which have the most number of bargain stores. For example, DFO in Homebush, Birkenhead Point in Drummoyne or Brand Depot in Parramatta are good places to start.

4.    Expect the sales

Most brands have sales every few months or once a year and usually they occur at around the same time. If your favourite brand or store usually has a recurring sale, then keep an eye out for it and save your money for a big spend.

Also remember the seasonal sales, while it doesn’t sound like fun, you can get real bargains when it comes to swimwear in winter and coats in summer so be prepared to think outside the seasons to grab a bargain.

If a business is having a sale, check to see whether their competitor is doing the same or see if they’ll price match.

5.    Don’t be scared of vouchers and discount codes

Sure, you might think it’s a bit embarrassing using a voucher or a discount code but think of the savings!

There are all sorts of vouchers available. For example Borders has regular vouchers that it sends via email to its mailing list and you can save 20%. Some websites like www.frockyou.com.au offer discount codes to loyal customers.

The best way to find out about the vouchers/codes is to register on websites which regularly lists sales.

6.    Shopping online

There are little quirks to online shopping so here are some tips to making sure you get the best possible bargain.

• Check where the item will be shipped from – postage and handling can be a hidden cost
• Check whether the shop/website delivers – most popular American brands do not ship internationally so you may have to look at paying for a middleperson located in the United States who will send you the package (at a cost).
• Sizing is difficult to gauge – ask for exact measurements and check the website’s refund policy. Sometimes it pays to go to the store and try the item on and then purchase it online for the cheaper price.
• Check the method of payment – most online retailers prefer PayPal these days however there are also other options available.
• Check the terms and conditions – refunds and exchanges are unlikely if the item isn’t what you were after. Usually you’ll be out of pocket for the postage and handling.
• Buy from a trusted seller – get in contact with them if you are unsure about whether they are legitimate
• Impulse shopping is a lot easier when you are doing it online so give yourself some time to think about the purchase before clicking the checkout button
• Search for other online businesses and don’t just stop on the first page  – you may find that another similar website sells exactly the same product for a cheaper price

7.    Planning the big shopping trip

This does depend on what kind of shopping trip you are planning. If you are headed to a regular shopping area then you’ll know where you can eat, whether you need comfortable shoes, where to park and how to get there.

If this is your first time, make sure you have the phone number of the shop that you are planning to visit (this is especially important if you are headed to their warehouse or factory) because you can always give them a call if you get lost and they’ll be happy to direct you.

If you are planning to hit several sales in one day think of the following things:

• what time are the sales on – this is important towards the end of the day because if you don’t know that the sale ends at 4pm you may find it closed if you head there
• where are the sales located – hitting the sales closest to each other before moving to the next suburb or location is always a good idea
• how popular is the sale going to be – if you know it’s going to be a popular sale then you know there’s going to be a queue. Heading to the Peep Toe Shoe sale this year there was an hour wait and this was before the sale had even started!
• what are the priority stops – you need to prioritise so that you know which sales you can give a miss if you run out of time

8.    Morning or afternoon?

This does depend on your availability. Some sales are on during the weekdays and if you work then this makes it difficult unless you happen to work nearby. However, the best time to shop for bargains depends on how popular the sale is going to be and how much time you are willing to spend waiting in line.

Most die-hard shopaholics will turn up before the sale starts and try to get the best bargains so be ready for a stampede if you head out early but then be prepared to miss out on stuff in your size if your size is usually the first to go such as size 6 and 8!

9.    Check out the markets

Shopping for bargains isn’t limited to sales but you can grab a great bargain at the markets. There’s also the chance you’ll grab something truly unique. There’s the Glebe Markets, Paddy’s Markets, the Rocks Markets, Balmain Markets, Rozelle Markets and Paddington Markets to name a few.

10.    Get out of your comfort zone

This will mean that you need to be flexible about where you go to shop and transport plays a key part.

Sales occur in places that you may not expect and sometimes this may involve some travel. For example, Lindt chocolate lovers have to head past Blacktown for their yearly chocolate sale.

Other times the sale may be in a place without public transport so you have to plan ahead or get a bunch of friends together and car pool.

Sometimes after travelling all the way to a sale, it may not be what you expected so to get the best of these kinds of experiences it is essential not only to plan ahead but also find out what else is out there. There may be other sales in the area but at least find out if you can grab a bite to eat nearby and make it a day trip.

Yours Truly,

Squeakaholic

Shopping Warehouses, Centres and Factory Outlets in Sydney

I started collating a list of all the Shopping Warehouses and Factory Outlets in Sydney so I thought I would share it with everyone. I’ll update the list with addresses in the next couple of days.